The Hidden Cost of Grammarly: Is Your Writing Losing Its Soul?

Dominic Medford
3 min readJul 23, 2024

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Photo by hannah grace on Unsplash

In today’s digital age, tools like Grammarly have become indispensable. They promise to polish our prose, correct our grammar, and elevate our writing to professional standards. And for the most part, they deliver. Grammarly can transform a clunky email into a sleek piece of communication and ensure your reports are free of embarrassing errors. But there’s a subtle, insidious downside to this reliance on automated perfection: the loss of personalisation and soul in our writing.

The Allure of Perfection

Grammarly’s appeal is undeniable. For professionals juggling multiple tasks, it’s a lifesaver. No more worrying about misplaced commas or subject-verb disagreements. The software catches it all, allowing us to focus on the content rather than the mechanics. For non-native English speakers, it’s a bridge to clearer, more effective communication.

But here’s the catch: in its quest for perfection, Grammarly often sanitizes our writing to the point of sterility. The quirks and idiosyncrasies that make our writing uniquely ours can get ironed out, replaced by cookie-cutter correctness.

The Beauty of Imperfection

Think about the writers you love. Chances are, it’s not just their flawless grammar that draws you in. It’s their voice — the distinct way they string words together, the rhythm of their sentences, the little quirks that make their writing unmistakably theirs. These are the things that Grammarly, with its one-size-fits-all approach, often smooths over.

Consider this: Ernest Hemingway’s succinct, staccato prose. Jane Austen’s witty, intricate sentences. Would their writing have the same impact if it had been passed through Grammarly’s filter? Probably not. Their imperfections are part of their charm, part of what makes their voices resonate across time.

The Danger of Over-Reliance

Relying too heavily on Grammarly can lead to a kind of writing complacency. We stop thinking critically about our word choices and sentence structures, trusting the software to do the heavy lifting. This can be particularly detrimental for aspiring writers. The process of learning and mastering the nuances of language is crucial. By outsourcing this to Grammarly, we risk stunting our own growth as writers.

Moreover, there’s an emotional element to writing that Grammarly can’t capture. The raw, unpolished thoughts that come pouring out in a moment of inspiration might be grammatically flawed, but they’re often more genuine and impactful than the meticulously edited versions.

Striking a Balance

So, should we abandon Grammarly altogether? Not necessarily. The key is to use it as a tool, not a crutch. Here are a few strategies to maintain the soul in your writing while still benefiting from Grammarly’s capabilities:

1. Edit in Phases: Write your first draft without Grammarly. Let your thoughts flow naturally. Once you’ve captured your ideas, use Grammarly to catch the errors, but don’t automatically accept every suggestion. Evaluate each one critically.

2. Maintain Your Voice: Be mindful of your unique style. If Grammarly suggests changes that alter your voice or the tone of your piece, consider rejecting them. Your personal touch is more important than perfect grammar.

3. Learn From It: Use Grammarly as a learning tool. Pay attention to the corrections it makes and try to understand why. This can help you improve your grammar and writing skills without becoming dependent on the software.

4. Read Aloud: After using Grammarly, read your work aloud. This can help you catch any awkward phrasings or areas where the software’s suggestions may have smoothed out your voice.

5. Seek Human Feedback: Share your writing with trusted friends or colleagues. Human readers can provide insights and feedback that no software can match, helping you maintain the balance between correctness and personalisation.

Conclusion

Grammarly is a powerful resource that has its place in the modern writer’s toolkit. But like all tools, it’s most effective when used judiciously. By being aware of its limitations and making a conscious effort to preserve our unique voices, we can ensure that our writing remains both polished and soulful. Remember, the imperfections in your writing are not flaws to be eradicated, but features that reflect your individuality and humanity. Embrace them.

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Dominic Medford
Dominic Medford

Written by Dominic Medford

Law and Political Sciences student in Australia who dabbles in writing about his thought processes in his spare time with the hope that it can be insightful.

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